Yale Academic Calendar 2025‑2026: Important Dates

The Yale Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 is your definitive roadmap for every critical date and deadline from Yale enrollment and registration windows, tuition payment due dates, and course add/drop periods to campus holidays, and final exam schedules.

By consulting the Yale University academic calendar, Bulldogs can lock in Yale term dates, navigate the Yale exam schedule, monitor Yale registration deadlines, and never miss the last day to withdraw without a “W”, ensuring seamless academic and financial planning at Yale.

Yale operates on a semester system enriched by short‑form sessions:

• Fall Semester: A 15‑week term (14 instructional weeks + one finals week), beginning in late August and concluding in mid‑December.
• Spring Semester: Mirrors Fall with 15 weeks of instruction plus finals, kicking off in late January and wrapping up in early May—complete with a mid‑semester Spring Recess.
• January Term: An optional, intensive three‑week session in January for focused study or makeup courses.
• Summer Sessions: Flexible modules—two six‑week sessions and one twelve‑week full session—each with its own registration, add/drop, and billing deadlines for accelerated study or lighter fall/spring loads.

Keep the Yale Academic Calendar 2025‑2026 front and center so you can focus on thriving, both in the classroom and across Old Campus.

Yale Academic Calendar Fall 2025

1. Residences open to new students at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
2. Registration opens for first-year students and incoming Eli Whitney and transfer students from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
3. Residences open to upper-level students at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, August 22, 2025.
4. The add/drop period opens at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, August 25, 2025.
5. Required check-in meetings for upper-level students occur on Tuesday, August 26, 2025 (Class of 2028 at 9:00 a.m.; Class of 2027 at 9:45 a.m.; Class of 2026 at 10:30 a.m.).
6. Yale Fall 2025 classes begin on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. It is the first day of classes.
7. Monday classes meet instead of Friday classes on Friday, August 29, 2025.
8. No classes are held on Monday, September 1, 2025, in observance of Labor Day.
9. The add/drop period ends at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 5, 2025.
10. Withdrawal from Yale College on or before Wednesday, September 10, 2025, entitles a student to a full rebate of fall-term tuition.
11. The final deadline to apply for a fall-term Leave of Absence is Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
12. All students planning to complete degree requirements at the end of the fall term must file a petition by Monday, September 15, 2025.
13. Students in their final term of enrollment must petition to complete the requirements of two majors or declare major changes/certificate intentions in Yale Hub by Monday, September 15, 2025.
14. The last day to withdraw from a course offered in the first half of the fall term without the course appearing on the transcript is Thursday, September 18, 2025.
15. Withdrawal from Yale College on or before Saturday, September 20, 2025, entitles a student to a rebate of one-half of fall-term tuition.
16. Applications for Spring 2026 Term Abroad close on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
17. Courses offered in the first half of the fall term end on Friday, October 10, 2025.
18. The last day to withdraw from or convert to Cr/D/F in a first-half fall term course is Friday, October 10, 2025.
19. Courses offered in the second half of the fall term begin on Monday, October 13, 2025.
20. Yale Fall Break 2025 (October recess) begins after the last academic obligation on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, and ends on Sunday, October 19, 2025. Classes resume on Monday, October 20, 2025.
21. Midterm occurs on Friday, October 24, 2025.
22. The last day to withdraw from a fall full-term course without a transcript record is Friday, October 24, 2025.
23. The deadline to apply for double credit in a single-credit course is Friday, October 24, 2025.
24. Withdrawal from Yale College on or before October 24, 2025, entitles a student to a one-quarter tuition rebate.
25. Final ABX exam grades are due on Friday, October 24, 2025.
26. The last day to withdraw from a second-half fall term course without a transcript record is Thursday, November 6, 2025.
27. Spring term registration opens for GSAS students at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, November 14, 2025.
28. Spring registration opens for the Class of 2026 on Monday, November 17, 2025; Class of 2027 on Tuesday, November 18, 2025; Class of 2028 on Wednesday, November 19, 2025; and Class of 2029 on Thursday, November 20, 2025, all at 8:00 a.m.
29. Yale Thanksgiving Break 2025 (November recess) begins after the last academic obligation on Friday, November 21, 2025, and ends on Sunday, November 30, 2025. Classes resume on Monday, December 1, 2025.
30. The last day to relinquish on-campus housing for spring without charge is Sunday, November 30, 2025.
31. Classes end and the reading period begins on Friday, December 5, 2025.
32. The last day to convert to Cr/D/F or withdraw from a full-term/second-half course is Friday, December 5, 2025.
33. Final examinations begin at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.
34. Reading period ends, and the deadline for non-paper course assignments (extendable by TI) is 9:00 a.m. on Monday, December 15, 2025.
35. Final examinations end at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, initiating winter recess.
36. The deadline for term papers/projects (extendable by TI) is Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
37. Residences close at 12:00 noon on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
38. Spring term registration closes for all GSAS & YC students at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
39. The official fall 2025 degree conferral date is Monday, December 22, 2025.

Yale Academic Calendar Spring 2026

1. Fall-term final grades are due, and the add/drop period opens for all GSAS & YC students at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, January 5, 2026.
2. Residences open at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
3. Yale Spring 2026 classes begin on Monday, January 12, 2026. It is the first day of classes.
4. Final-term students must petition for two majors or declare major changes/certificates in Yale Hub by Thursday, January 15, 2026.
5. No classes are held on Monday, January 19, 2026, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
6. Applications for Yale 2026 Summer Session Abroad close on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
7. The add/drop period closes for all GSAS & YC students at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21, 2026.
8. Monday classes meet instead of Friday classes on Friday, January 23, 2026.
9. The final deadline for spring-term Leave of Absence applications is Monday, January 26, 2026.
10. Withdrawal on or before January 26, 2026, entitles a student to a full rebate of spring-term tuition.
11. The last day to withdraw from a first-half spring term course without a transcript record is Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
12. Withdrawal on or before Thursday, February 5, 2026, entitles a student to a one-half spring-term tuition rebate.
13. Courses offered in the first half of the spring term end on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
14. The last day to withdraw from or convert to Cr/D/F in a first-half spring term course is Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
15. Courses offered in the second half of the spring term begin on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
16. Applications for 2026 Non-Yale Summer Abroad close on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
17. Midterm occurs on Friday, March 6, 2026.
18. Yale Spring Break 2026 begins after the last academic obligation on Friday, March 6, 2026, and ends on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Classes resume on Monday, March 23, 2026.
19. The last day to withdraw from a spring full-term course without a transcript record is Friday, March 6, 2026.
20. The deadline to apply for double credit in a single-credit course is Friday, March 6, 2026.
21. Withdrawal on or before March 6, 2026, entitles a student to a one-quarter spring-term tuition rebate.
22. Final ABX exam grades are due on Friday, March 6, 2026.
23. Applications for the Fall 2026 Term Abroad or the 2026–2027 Year Abroad close on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
24. The last day to withdraw from a spring second-half course without a transcript record is Thursday, April 2, 2026.
25. Fall term registration opens for Graduate School students at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, April 10, 2026.
26. Fall registration opens for the Class of 2027 on Monday, April 13, 2026; Class of 2028 on Tuesday, April 14, 2026; and Class of 2029 on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, all at 8:00 a.m.
27. Classes end and the reading period begins on Friday, April 24, 2026.
28. The last day to convert to Cr/D/F or withdraw from a full-term/second-half course is Friday, April 24, 2026.
29. Final examinations begin at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
30. Reading period ends, and the deadline for non-paper course assignments (extendable by TI) is 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 4, 2026.
31. Final examinations end at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
32. The deadline for term papers/projects (extendable by TI) is Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
33. Residences close for non-seniors at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, 2026.
34. Final grades for graduating seniors are due on Friday, May 8, 2026.
35. Applications for fall-term Leaves of Absence are due on Friday, May 1, 2026.
36. Final grades for continuing students are due on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
37. Registration closes for Yale College and Graduate School students on Friday, May 15, 2026.
38. University Commencement is held on Monday, May 18, 2026.
39. Residences close for seniors at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

For more on the Yale Academic Calendar 2025-2026, visit the Yale University Calendar website.